Why Uber Needs David Plouffe Almost As Much As Obama Did

There is no denying David Plouffe's had an impressive political career. Best known as the campaign manager of President Obama's historic 2008 campaign, he also worked as Senior Advisor to the President until January 2013. So when I heard that Plouffe was hired by Uber as Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy, I was like... Wait. What?

These attacks from Lyft are unfortunate but somewhat expected. A number of Lyft investors have recently been pushing Uber to acquire Lyft. One of their largest shareholders recently warned that Lyft would 'go nuclear' if we do not acquire them. We can only assume that the recent Lyft attacks are part of that strategy.

There have also been instances of alleged driver-poaching, since the companies work so close to each other in San Francisco — both companies reportedly use monetary and freebie incentives to entice drivers to join their company. And whether these accusations are true or not, having these public squabbles is certainly harming Uber's public image.